A Magical Muggle Life
by StoryWebber
Summary: Based in Lily Evans' and James Potter's times - Hogwarts, third year. The first term of the new Hogwarts year calls for a project - a major one, which affects their lifestyle at Hogwarts. Drama and action ensues, when Lily is forced to spend more-than-desirable time with James, her bane. Not exactly a James/Lily story, more of budding friendship and mischief.
1. Chapter 1 - At Hogwarts

**A/N - Welcome to this Hogwarts story! It's magical, it's funny (I hope), it's dramatic, it's lively and sometimes emotional.**

**It is set in the past of the normal Harry Potter series, in the time when James Potter and Lily Evans were in their third year at Hogwarts. Read as a term of drama, muggle living and of course, magic, enfolds.**

**Without further ado, ladies and gentlemen, let me introduce you to…**

"Lily Evans," said Sirius Black, in a mocking tone.

"Lily Evans," said Remus Lupin, in a serious voice.

"Lily Evans," said Peter Pettigrew, indifferently.

"No. You're all wrong. It's Lily Evans," said James Potter, breathily.

Sirius sat up, and with a look of tortured familiarity on his face, said, "That's what we all said, Jimmy!"

"No, Padfoot. When you mention her name, it _must_ be accompanied with the required modulation of voice." As an afterthought, James added, "And don't call me Jimmy!"

"All right then, Prongs. _Lily Evans_," said Sirius, pretending to choke and gasp for air. "That better?"

James retorted snappily and Sirius was drawn into the battle of insulting words, while Remus chuckled, amused.

He turned to the first-year who had unwittingly been the cause for this argument. The poor boy, Michael, had merely wanted to know the names of all his housemates. It was the muggle-born's first year at school; he had been home-schooled by a private tutor before coming to Hogwarts.

Remus had put the boy at ease, understanding the nervousness he suffered from. He had introduced him to all the Gryffindor students. When Michael had pointed at Lily, who was leaning back on a chair and reading, and asked for her name, the entire drama had begun.

Michael was now looking at James and Sirius with a bewildered expression on his face. Remus smiled at him kindly, before reassuring him that the two were _not_ lunatics, however much it seemed so.

"Now, scoot. And find some friends of your own age, Michael. I'm sure James and Sirius will drive you crazy with their antics otherwise."

Michael grinned at him and obeyed, joining another group of first-years in their emphatic conversation.

* * *

"Are you planning to wake up anytime today, Marlene McKinnon?" asked Lily, exasperated with her best friend.

"Five more minutes, Lils," a very sleepy Marlene answered.

"Come on, Mar! Breakfast will be over if we wait for five minutes."

"What?" exclaimed Marlene, and sat up hastily. "Why didn't you tell me that before? I'm ravenous!"

Lily laughed at her friend's horrified expression, and found herself saying, "C'mon! I'll make your bed, and you get dressed fast!"

Within a jiffy, the girls had cleared up their side of the dormitory, and headed to the Great Hall for breakfast.

"What class do we have first today?" asked Marlene as the girls sat down for breakfast.

"It's Muggle Studies," Lily replied between bites of her sandwich.

"Oh, have you heard that we're going to have a project in Muggle Studies this first term?" asked Mary MacDonald, from the other side of the table.

"No. What could it be? It's the first time we're going to be taking Muggle Studies. What kind of project could they give us?" asked Lily.

"I don't know. But apparently, it will help acquaint us with Muggle practices," said Mary.

At that moment, the bell rang and breakfast was cleared away. The three girls got up and left for their dormitories, with Marlene whining, "I really wanted some of that cake. It made my mouth water. But just as I take a piece onto my plate, breakfast has to be cleared away! How is that fair?"

Lily and Mary exchanged looks and decided not to answer that question, as they picked up the required book and quills for the upcoming class.


	2. Chapter 2 - Class and a Temper Flare

**A/N – I forgot to do the disclaimer last chapter. Here's a universal disclaimer (I won't do it again) –**

**I do not own any of the people, places or ideas except the plot. And a few of my own characters.**

"This year, you will be studying a lot about everyday Muggle life. Your course will include Muggle inventions, domestic Muggle living and Wizard-Muggle ties," said Professor Mellow.

"Excuse me, Professor. We have been hearing about some project we're supposed to be doing for this class. What is it?" asked a Ravenclaw girl.

Professor Mellow chuckled, and replied, "It was originally designed as a Muggle Studies project, yes. Bu this year, we have thought to expand it to include _all_ your subjects. This is the reason I can't give you any details yet. It will be announced in the Great Hall tomorrow morning."

"Hey, Lils! Why do you think this is so hush-hush? What kind of project could it be?" asked Marlene, in a whisper.

"I don't know, Mar. It could be something to promote house unity. Or maybe a competition? But it sure sounds as if-"

Just then, Professor Mellow turned from the blackboard, and looking at Lily, said, "I can hear whispers, Miss Evans! Why don't you just say whatever you want to, out loud?"

Lily blushed and apologised for talking. Professor Mellow merely smiled and went back to writing on the board.

"You just have to draw me into some conversation or the other, don't you, Marlene McKinnon?" asked Lily, exasperated, as the girls made their way out of the classroom.

"You need to learn how to have some fun, Lily Evans! A teacher catching you whispering in class isn't the end of the world, you know!" Marlene retorted.

"McKinnon's right, you know, Evans. You seriously need to have some fun. So why don't you go out with me to Hogsmeade?" James asked casually, sauntering up to the girls.

"Just leave me alone, Potter. _You_ need to learn how to know when someone hates you!" said Lily, and in a fit of anger, marched away, Marlene close behind her.

"You'll never back down, will you, Jimmy?" asked Sirius, catching up to James with a grin on his face.

"Not until I get what I want, Puppy!" replied James.

"What? Puppy? Of all the nicknames you could have chosen for me… Puppy?" sputtered Sirius.

"Come on, Padfoot. We don't have all day. We need to get to Transfiguration unless you want McGonagall to turn us into tadpoles!"

* * *

"I hate him, Marlene! I absolutely, definitely, surely-"

"Wait! Back up! Whom do you hate?" asked Marlene, trying to suppress her laughter.

"That bloody James Potter, of course!"

"Whoa, calm down, Lils. I've never seen you in such a fit before!" said Marlene. Looking at Lily's death-glare, though, she couldn't hold back the building bubble of laughter in her and she burst out into poorly-concealed giggles.

Lily's death-glare turned to Marlene, who hastily said, "Sorry. Umm… I have to go now. Some Transfiguration homework to do."

"Very likely," muttered Lily under her breath as she watched her friend walk away to the dormitory. When Lily was in a fit of rage, no one could calm her down; not even her closest friends.

_Well_, modified Lily, _no one except Severus Snape, her best friend ever!_

She thought wistfully of the enjoyable times they had had together before Hogwarts. Now, of course, it was practically impossible for them to talk for very long. Gryffindor and Slytherin were arch-rivals and no one looked kindly upon Lily's friendship with Snape.

Of course, Snape's current group of muggle-hating friends disgusted her. But she had not made her revulsion known to Snape yet. She thought he would just grow out of their company once he realised their true mentality.

Occupied with such thoughts, Lily walked up to the dormitory to join Marlene.

**A/N - Second chapter done! So, what do you think about it What do you think the project could be? Review and tell me!**


	3. Chapter 3 - The Project

**A/N – Sorry, I know I'm updating after long! But my board exams were going on! Thankfully, they're over now and I think I'll be able to update twice a week! And my chapters will be this length mostly, I think. It's short, I know! But I want to be able to update regularly!**

"Quiet please, children! Headmaster Dumbledore is about to make an announcement!" Professor McGonagall said, and immediately the Great Hall quieted down.

Headmaster Dumbledore stepped forward and surveyed the Hall with an expressionless face. The students were trying to control their curiosity. What could the headmaster want to speak to them about this early in the morning?

Lily and Marlene, sitting at the Gryffindor table, exchanged glances. They knew what was coming, and couldn't wait to hear it. Whatever had got Professor Mellow, whose demeanour was exactly like her name suggested, as excited as she had been the day before, was definitely worth hearing about.

"As many of you have heard, I presume, there is to be a huge project for the third-year students this term. It will decide your grades in all the subjects, so make sure you put all your efforts into it."

At this, Dumbledore paused momentarily. He seemed to be lost in his own thoughts. But in a moment, he collected himself together and said, "I will let Professor McGonagall explain further about this matter. Before that, though, I would like to remind you all, on the behalf of our caretaker, Argus Filch, that this project is _not_ to be treated as an opportunity to play pranks or break rules. This applies not only to the third-years, but also to the rest of the school. Now, will you explain, Minerva?"

Professor McGonagall came ahead readily and adopting the most formal voice she could muster, she said, "Third-year students will be living in their own small houses this year. The community will be located in a separate part of the castle…"

Stunned gasps and excited whispers filled the Great Hall. The fourth-years, who had already done this project – thought not in such a large scale – sat back, looking smug and grinning at each other for some unknown reason.

"Silence, children! I want to inform you that this project will begin tomorrow. Third-years will go back to their respective common rooms, where they will be given further details" Professor McGonagall finished, and went back to her seat.

Excited and eager, the third-years finished their breakfasts quickly, and went back to their common rooms.

* * *

"I think all Gryffindors have chosen Muggle Studies this year, have you not?" asked Professor McGonagall.

Lily, Marlene, Alice and Mary were sitting on the recliner and listening to their head-of-house intently. And so, surprisingly, were James and Sirius.

In fact, the entire room was in silence as Professor McGonagall explained the project.

"Each of you will be living in a separate house – a small one, of course. It will have a bedroom, a living room and a kitchen, along with one bathroom. Each part of your life there will be associated with one of your subjects. For example, your kitchens are stocked with Muggle equipment, and you will be using those to cook your food. How well you do that, will determine your Muggle Studies grade."

"But, Professor? I've heard electronic equipment does not work in Hogwarts! It was something about the magic making the devices go haywire!" said Lily, confused.

"Ah, do not worry, Miss Evans! Headmaster Dumbledore found a way around that last year. I do not understand it well enough to explain to you, but you should definitely ask Professor Mellow about it. She will be more than happy to clear your confusion."

Lily nodded and sat back again.

"Today evening, there will be a small year-wide party to celebrate the beginning of this project, which is also a huge experiment in Hogwarts. We will enjoy the party, and hope for the success of this endeavour. And tomorrow morning, it will begin. You will be shown your houses in the night, so after breakfast, you will go straight there and get settled in! I will leave you now to pack up your things, and ready yourselves for the project!"

With this Professor McGonagall left the common room.

"What do you think about this, eh, James?" Sirius asked.

"Sounds like it's going to be fun. We cannot let this opportunity go unexploited, Padfoot. It's the perfect chance to play a trick or two."

"Marlene! And Lily! They're the perfect, unsuspecting targets!" Sirius whispered to James.

"Yeah! Let's do the ghost-trick on Marlene! It would be amazing!" James replied enthusiastically.

"And let's not forget Lily! I'll think up something wonderful for her…"

James looked uncertain for a moment, but his doubts vanished in a moment, and he high-fived Sirius.

Meanwhile, the supposedly 'unsuspecting' girls were listening in on the conversation.

"Let's turn the tables on them, Lily!" whispered Marlene, conspiratorially.

"For once, I agree with you, Mar! Let's do it!" said Lily, a mischievous grin lighting up her face.

With such plans in their minds, the girls and boys trooped up to their dormitories to pack up their trunks and belongings!

**A/N – Please, please, please, please, please, please review!**

**I haven't got a single review yet! **

**I will mention all reviewers' names in my next chapter! (I know that's bribing, but please? Just one word will do – 'nice' or 'sucks' or 'ok'! Please take time to review!)**


	4. Chapter 4 - Moving in and Plans

**A/N – First off, thanks to ****the394thdauntlesscake**** for being the only reviewer. Also, thanks to the five followers of my story! Moving on…**

Lily inspected her new house thoroughly. The living room had a cosy couch, and a fire-place for which she was glad. She liked nothing more on cold days than to sit in front of the fire and read a book by its dancing, flickering light.

There was a tiny yard outside the house. Lily wondered at its purpose, and moved on.

The kitchen, true to Professor McGonagall's word, had the most modern set of Muggle equipment she had seen. Being a Muggle-born, she could easily identify the stove, the microwave oven and the toaster. Apart from that, there was a mixer and a weird-looking device she assumed was a vegetable cutter.

Next, she discovered a little storage room lined with shelves, tucked away under the staircase. She made up her mind at once to convert the room into a small library.

On the second floor of the house was a bedroom. The walls were painted red and gold for her house, and it was decorated sparsely, yet tastefully. There was a mirror and dressing table in one corner of the room, and a closet in another corner. The single bed occupied most of the room, making it look small, yet cosy.

Lily began putting all her things away neatly in the closets and shelves. Then she went back to the living room and looked for the sheet of details that Professor McGonagall had instructed them to find. After looking around a little, she found it pinned up on a notice board behind the door in the kitchen.

_**Dear Student,**_

_**Please put away your things in their respective places. Instructions for usage of kitchen devices and certain other things are listed in the instruction manual. You will find it in the pull-out drawer in the kitchen.**_

_**You may make breakfast and dinner for yourselves, but lunch is to be had in the Great Hall only.**_

_**Please do not light the fire in the living room during daytime or attempt to use any devices of which you do not know the use.**_

_**The yard is for your pet, which you will soon be adopting. **_

_**Regular classes will begin after two days. You are expected to settle down in your house by then.**_

After reading through this, Lily went out to her yard and looked over it. It was quite small, as were all the other room of the house.

_What kind of pet will we have to adopt?_ Lily thought. _It can't be huge, or else the yard would have been bigger too. It must be relatively easy to handle as well. They wouldn't entrust us with dragons or sphinxes._

Lily sighed and resigned herself to wait until it was announced to them. She made her way over to the Great Hall again, in the hopes of finding Marlene or Alice.

* * *

The Marauders were in a secret meeting. They had found the perfect place to discuss their plans – the Room of Requirement – recently, and converted it into the official Marauders' Headquarters.

James and Sirius were telling Remus and Peter of their brilliant plan to prank Marlene. And Remus, as usual, was being skeptical of the plan and trying to dissuade them from doing them.

"Argh! Let us have some fun, Moony! I tell you, this is going to be our best trick yet!" Sirius exclaimed.

"I agree, Padfoot. We just _have_ to do this! "James said, enthusiastically.

Remus shrugged, before replying, "You guys decide. But I still think you shouldn't do this. Remember Dumbledore said clearly that this was _not_ universal prank-time?"

"Of course we don't remember! Who listens to the teachers anyway?" Sirius said, while high-fiving James.

"He's the headmaster, not just a _teacher_..." Remus muttered under his breath.

"Didn't catch that, Moony! What did you say?" James asked, grinning.

"Nothing you don't know, Prongs…" said Remus.

"So anyway, will you assist us, fellow Marauders?" James asked Remus and Peter.

Remus shrugged, and Peter said, "Yes, of course we will, James. When have we ever refused to help?"

"I just might refuse to help next time," Remus muttered to himself again.

"So what we'll do first is this…" said James, pretending not to hear Remus.

"We'll make sure Lily's visiting Marlene on the day of the prank… or should I say, night of the prank!" Sirius continued.

James and Sirius carefully laid out the details of their prank to Remus and Peter, and the latter made some suggestions which James accepted immediately.

After deciding the roles each of the Marauders would play in this, they cheered and left the Room of Requirement, eager to get back to the Great Hall for lunch.

**A/N – So what do you think the prank's going to be? Will the girls be able to turn the tables on them? Or will they become the innocent, unsuspecting' targets Sirius assumes them to be?**

**Please review with you thoughts, and if you guess the prank right (it's really common, to be honest), I'll mention your name in the next chapter!**

**Go ahead and guess!**


	5. Chapter 5 - Double-Pranking!

"Okay, fellow Marauders and co-pranksters!" James announced.

"This is it." Remus said, trying not to grin.

"The big one." Peter continued, solemnly.

"The one we've all been waiting for." Sirius finished.

The four boys nodded solemnly and began to walk towards Lily's house.

They had spent the past fifteen minutes in the Courtyard, which was like a square for all the student residents to gather at in evenings. The entire living quarters of the third-year students was like a city, except a city with multiple floors and quite a number of moving staircases.

As usual, the Marauders' serious gathering had attracted quite an amount of attention from the other Gryffindor students. James and Sirius were boisterous, to say the least, and it was strange for them to be seated in one place for more than five minutes. This was the reason the Marauders preferred to have their secret meetings in the Room of Requirement, away from prying eyes and curious stares.

Alice Prewett, especially, had seemed rather interested in their conversation. But they had shooed her away immediately with cold stares.

Now, as they were reaching Lily's house, they stopped their brisk strides and crept to the other side of the street.

"Marlene's coming, guys!" called out Remus, who was in the lead.

"Good timing. You know what you have to do, Remus!" James said.

Remus nodded and walked up to her.

"Hey, Marlene!" he greeted politely.

"Hey, Remus! What are you doing here? Did Lily invite you over too?" she asked.

"No, I just wanted to return this book to her. By the way, have you settled in at your house?"

"Oh yes, very well. It's really comfortable, even though it's small. You should come over some time for tea."

"Oh, you make tea? Where did you pick up that Muggle practice?" Remus asked.

"Lily taught me. The other day, I was at her house for the first time, and then she made me some. She said it was…"

As Marlene started chatting with Remus, the other Marauders crept through the now-open gate to Lily's house.

They went around the porch, and ducked underneath the windows and went to the backyard.

James then took out his Invisibility Cloak and the three boys crouched underneath it quietly.

Remus went inside with Marlene, returned the book to her, and came out again. Instead of going back down the road, though, he crept behind the house to join the other three boys.

By this time, the sun had set outside the castle, and it became dark.

Marlene was there for a sleepover, so she had an early dinner with Lily (who had become adept at cooking Muggle food with the kitchen equipment) and they settled down to watch a movie in Lily's small television.

Marlene's giggles and Lily's voice could be heard all the way out to the backyard, and after a while, the four boys heard her voice become sleepy.

In a few minutes, the giggles stopped coming altogether.

James signaled to his friends that it was time to move.

By now, they were all tired of waiting and were eager to get a move on.

Before they left, James cast a disillusionment charm on the other three and put his cloak on himself.

He showed them all a thumbs-up and entered the house through the open window in the living room, careful that his cloak did not slip off him.

Once he was inside, he stamped his foot on the cold floor. The girls, who had been sitting on the couch, jumped up, startled.

"What was that, Lils?" Marlene asked, hesitantly.

"I heard it too. But…" she turned behind to look at the empty air where James was standing, and then turned to Marlene again, "…it must have been an insect or something."

"Yes, Lily! Why not? Insects can make 'thud' noises, after all!"

"You have a point. It must have been our imagination. We shouldn't have watched a horror movie at night." Lily said, sighing.

She jumped again as James made the noise of a hooting owl. The imitation was perfect!

"Is it just me, or did you hear an owl hoot inside the house?" Marlene asked, a fearful edge to her voice.

"Mar, do you think it's the ghost of Fai Chan, returned after a thousand years, to haunt us?" Lily said.

"Stop it, Lily! This is scary enough as it is!" Marlene said.

James grinned invisibly. This plan was going just as per plan. The girls' overactive imaginations would make their harmless noises seem terrifyingly scary.

"Lily, can we go upstairs, please? This is scaring me too much!" Marlene asked.

"Alright, Mar. I'm beginning to feel spooked too!"

Then the girls went upstairs. James couldn't resist doing another hoot as they went. They jumped once, and continued their journey up the stairs.

Pleased at the success of his part, James followed the girls upstairs at a safe distance. Now, Sirius, Remus and Peter were in charge.

They were to hide in Lily's bedroom, behind the large curtains and continue scaring them. Then, James would dress up as a ghost in a white blanket and walk right into the room. The plan was to make the girls so scared, that they would attempt to run out of the house. At that point, of course, they would find the doors locked!

James went to the backyard and found the white blanket he had hidden there. He marked it with huge round eyes, and wore it over his head. Then, he stumbled upstairs, half-expecting the girls' screeches.

However, a dead silence echoed through the top landing as he made his way to Lily's room.

"Hmm… definitely weird," muttered James to himself.

Then, he went cautiously to the door and opened it. The girls seemed to be peacefully sleeping in bed.

He tiptoed closer to them, and immediately saw that they were still clutching their wands.

Before he could register that thought, though, Lily shot up and cried "Petrificus Totalus", pointing her wand straight at James.

Taken by surprise, he had no time to respond and the spell hit him cleanly.

He fell backwards, frozen.

* * *

Marlene sat up and started giggling. Soon, Lily joined her and so did a third figure that crept up to join them from behind the curtains.

"Good job, girls!" Marlene said, and the girls high-fived each other.

"Now, Lily, do that memory altering charm you've been practicing on them!" the third girl, Alice, said.

"I don't think I should do it, really. It's N.E.W.T. level and if I do it wrong…"

"Lily, you're a bloody genius! You've done five N.E.W.T. level charms already, if I remember correctly! Just do it!" Marlene said.

Lily nodded, took a deep breath and pointing her wand at James, she altered his memory.

She did the same with the other three Marauders, who had been knocked out and tied up behind the curtains.

Then the girls carried them in the air with the help of a spell and took them to the Great Hall. Laying them down on the Gryffindor table (on the actual _table_), they walked back to Lily's house, with satisfied smirks on their faces.

**A/N – So how do you like this chapter? I know it leaves a lot of questions unanswered, but you'll have to wait for the next chapter to know those details…**

**And please, please, review! Review and you'll make my day!**


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